CARLSBAD  A surfwear chain may soon open a store in downtown Carlsbad’s best-known building — a historic Victorian at the corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive.

Once known as the Twin Inns, and later Neimans and then the Ocean House at Carlsbad Village, the 126-year-old Victorian mansion has been closed for the past three months due to flooding damage. The Ocean House will not reopen and a deal for a new tenant — reportedly Sun Diego surfwear — is in the works.

An official with Sun Diego and the leasing agent for Carlsbad Village Faire mall declined to comment on the proposed use for the property because negotiations are still under way. Both parties said they hope to announce a deal sometime next week.

Sun Diego operates nine shops in San Diego County selling skate, surf and beach apparel, accessories and equipment. Most of the company’s stores are in shopping malls, including one in the Carlsbad Premium Stores outlet mall.

The Ocean House location is one of Carlsbad’s best-known landmarks. It is a combination of two identical Victorian homes built side by side in the 1880s by Carlsbad pioneers Gerhard Schutte and D.D. Wadsworth. In the early 20th century, the buildings began operating as a hotel called the Twin Inns. In 1984, the property was sold and became Neimans, a restaurant and nightclub. It changed hands again in 2004 and was renamed the Ocean House, according to the history page on the Ocean House website.